MANGA REVIEW | "RADIANT" - Volume Eighteen
War is nearing. With the Domitors becoming a far bigger threat in the RADIANT world, the time to dilly-dally is no more. Although Seth and the gang are never the lazy type (well…except for Doc), they have had a long enough breather to revitalize their bones. In Volume Eighteen, the time for training, conjuring, and even bonding commences.
Seth, Doc, Mélie, and Ocoho learn everything they can about creating creatures, controlling their spells, and working with one’s Nemesis. As all of this goes on, the Domitors are preparing for their next attack, whilst the Inquisition suits up for what could be a brutal battle. Meanwhile, Doc learns that his broken armor isn’t gone for good, making him realize how much of the chaos he experienced could’ve been avoided! Then there’s Seth and Ocoho, a duo who may become more than just friends as this arc continues onwards…
But within this volume of RADIANT is the importance of Seth’s brother Piodon. He has a foray of knowledge that may be of use for this upcoming war. However, with neither brother able to trust one another fully, that information may not be leaked until they can rebuild that bloodline bond. On one hand, it’s kind of a pain to see how such vital information is kept over some brotherly pettiness. With that being said, if you’ve been estranged from a family member for such a long time, do you think seeing them again would instantly lead to you trusting them to the fullest extent?
Speaking of bonds, Mélie bonding with her new Nemesis Lil leads to a fun montage of training. Initially, I mistook the look in her eyes as one that might be untrustworthy. In reality, it’s a look of childlike wonder, one that’s ready for adventure and discovery. When she and Lil work together, not only does she discover new powers she can unleash, but she also finds a new kind of joy when prepping for the battle ahead. It’s surprisingly sweet, as it even unlocks a core memory in her trainer Lupa, one that reflects on her time when she too was as troublemaking as Mélie is during training.
There’s one other thing that I found to be eye-opening about this current RADIANT arc: King Herklès and the treatment of his people. This is a leader who is aiming to better himself by understanding not just the needs of others, but how others are perceived in society. Instead of simply shoving off complaints, he’s now taking the time to hear anyone out and registering what they’re saying. It does lead him to do something wild and drastic, but in the end, it results in something far better than even Herklès could’ve imagined!
However, despite the bountiful of progress made within our heroes, it won’t make a difference if their enemies are stronger than them. On top of the Inquisition, the Domitors have proven how formidable they are in battle. It’s reached a point where readers will have trouble deciding who’s the far bigger enemy in the long run. Although the Inquisition has been seen as the main villains in RADIANT, this might be the time where they must suck it up and work with the very people they’ve been told to capture. (I mean, it wouldn’t be the first series to have enemies working together to fight a common foe.)
Volume Eighteen of RADIANT is a calm before the storm. It has its fair share of humor and sweetness, but these are all there to pillow the impending fight. Although it’s felt like forever since we’ve seen Seth and the gang, how author Tony Valente writes these particular chapters makes it feel like they’ve been by our side the whole time. But now with a war looming, one can’t help but feel something will shake up our group of heroes in the worst possible way. Here’s hoping that it’s not a premonition, and instead a stomachache from eating those biscuits Doc was using to practice kung fu with!
FINAL GRADE:
Promotional consideration provided by Chantelle Sturt of VIZ Media.
